Electric switch or circuit breaker



1111116 14, 1932. ANDERSON 1,862,782

ELECTRIC SWITCH 0R CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Feb. 25, 1931 mw /L Patented June-14, 1532 I I i 1,862,782-

v [UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application filed February 25, 1931, Serial No. 518,194, and in Great Britain February 27, 1930.

This invention relates to electric switches with a closed radial slit the edges of which or circuit breakers, and particularly thosejreare oxidized. p quired to control a large amount of power, When the contacts are separated, the arc. the object of the invention being to provide which is produced in a region surrounded by improved means for suppressing the arc the plates, is moved laterally by the dififerent which is produced between the switch conradial fields and is broken by the plates into ta t wh n th i uit i o d, small portions each of which passes into the h The invention comprises the combination air space between the adjacent pair of plates. ofa, fixed and a ovabl o ta t piece 3 1 There it is whirled through a curved path 10 rality of spaced plates arranged at right due to the radlal disposition of the field and angles -to the direction of movement of the 1S speedily extinguished. movable contact, apertures in the plates By the means above described the 'supthrough which the movable contact can pass, P the are Produced ween the a magnet. pole passing through the plates contacts when the circuit is opened is effected 15 d itu t d atone id f th id apertures n a convenient and satisfactory manner. An

i th l t an i n or t l dnr d h mportant advantage of the invention is that ranged ll l ith th magnet l d it enables a switch or clrcu t breaker adapted a magnet indi it t d t h d f th for a heavy duty to be constructed 1n a comsaid magnet pole "and rods, the whole being P Q v 20 arranged and d d t operate ub ti l- The invention is not limited to the example 7 1 as h in ft d c ib g 7 above described as subordinate detalls of Th accompanying d wi ill t t dia construct on or arrangement can be varledgrammatically a switch constructed in acto dlfierent j t -d ith thi invention In the example lllustrated the contacts a, b

In carrying the invention into' ff t as are auxiliary contacts, the main contacts beshown, I arrange incombination with a 111g Provlded V a Contact P1969- h F t fixed contact a a movable contact I) consist- 9 Ofvthe magnet core l i h 11 or i -t f a rod which is tact eo-o erateswith the movable ma n conable in an endwise direction to and from the tact 9 contacts are mounted on a fixed contact. The movable contact 6 passesearned v fi Whlch can through an aperture 0 in each of a group of be F Fl 111 y q f manner for brass or other nonmagnetic plates (1 arranged movmg the Fontacts mto n out of Parallel with each other the planeof gagement'with the fixed contactsa, h. Also r plates being at right angles to theline of the contacts 6, i, are resiliently mounted, be '3 ti f h movable Contact The Spacing mg movable relatlvely to the bar 70 under of the plates is small so that. the are procontrol of R m a h rods 9 and duced when the contacts are separated is core 6 are assoclatid wlth an Iron plate divided intq as manygshoft portions as is and the rods g are lnsulated from the plates 0 venient. Parallel with themovable contact d 9 0 5 washers The magnet and also passing through the plates-is an iron excit ng C01 f is connected at one end to the or Steel rod 6 forming a magnetic p bv terminal q and at the other end to the con- ,tact late a; The switch illustrated is rowhlch radml .magnetlc' field 15 produced ,vided with two sets of the contacts alibvo between each pair of plates. The pole carn described. It is not essential to our invention- 45 r195 an excltmg Wmdmg at 0 the that the plates d shall be associated with aux- \return P for f flux 1s PTOVlded y iliary contacts, as they can be used with the r '9 en h l LP are mount main contacts when auxiliary contacts are ed, To prevent or nnmmize the production t, l d, On opening; the switch, the of eddy currents in the plates (1 when these main contacts 71., .5,- separate before the aux- 5 are made of metal, each plate may be formed iliary contacts; consequently the arc occurs 1 tact can pass, a magnet pole passing through the plates and situated at one side of the said apertures in the plates, and a magnet winding situated at one end of the said magnet pole, the whole being arranged and adapted to break up the arc incident to the opening of a circuit and to simultaneously whirl the arc portions through circular paths between the plates, substantially as described.

2. In an electric switch or circuit breaker, the combination of a fixed and a movable contact piece, a plurality of spaced plates arcarryin member, and a fixed contact on one end of t e magnet pole with which the main movable contact co-operates, the other fixed contact associated with the spaced platesbeing the one with which the auxiliary movable contact co-operates, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES ANDERSON.

ranged at right angles to the direction of a movement of the movable contact, apertures in the plates through which the movable contact can pass, a magnet pole passing through the plates and situated at one side of the said apertures in the plates, an iron or steel rod or rods arranged parallel with the magnet pole, and a magnet windin situated at one end of the said magnet po e and rods, the wholebeing arranged and adapted to break up the arc incident to the opening of a circuit and to simultaneously whirl the arc portions through circular paths between the plates, substantially as described.

3. In an electric switch or circuit break-' er, the combination of a fixed contact piece, a slidable contact piece, a plurality of spaced plates arranged at one side of the fixed contact piece and at right angles to the direction of movement of the movable contact piece, apertures in the plates through which the movable contact can pass, a magnet pole passin through the plates and situated at one si e of the said apertures in the plates, a

magnet windin situated at one end of the said magnet po e at the opposite side of the fixed contact piece to the spaced plates, and iron or steel rods arranged parallel with the magnet pole at a greater distance from it than the holes in the spaced plates through which the movable contact piece slides, the whole being arranged and adapted to break up the arc incident to the opening of a circuit and to simultaneously whirl the arc portions tnrough circular paths between the plates, substantially as described.

a. The combination with a switch or circuit breaker as claimed in claim 3, of main and auxiliary movable contacts, a member carrying said contacts, resilient means whereby the contacts can move relatively to the 

